Justice Department Charges 28 Non-Citizens in California Voter Fraud Probe
Federal authorities arrest 28 non-citizens for voting fraud in California, part of Operation Protect the Vote.
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The U.S. Department of Justice has charged 28 non-citizens with registering to vote in California, marking a significant step in a federal effort to combat electoral fraud. The arrests, part of a coordinated operation called ‘Operation Protect the Vote,’ were announced by First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli during a press conference on Monday.
Of the 28 defendants, 11 have already been arrested. All are lawful permanent residents, or ‘green card’ holders, who are not eligible to vote in U.S. elections. The charges include making false statements in naturalization applications and fraudulent voter registration, both of which are felonies that could result in up to five years in federal prison.
Essayli emphasized the importance of protecting the voting rights of American citizens, stating that illegal votes undermine the integrity of the electoral process. ‘Every illegal vote cancels out the vote of a lawful American citizen,’ said Acting Deputy Attorney General Trent McCotter, who highlighted that the defendants appear on a list of over 20,000 likely noncitizen registrants provided to California election officials.
McCotter noted that California’s refusal to verify the citizenship of these registrants puts the integrity of mail-in ballots at risk. ‘Today’s charges show exactly what that refusal puts at risk,’ he said. ‘California must verify the citizenship of those more than 20,000 registrants before mail-in ballots are counted.’
Essayli added that these incidents are not isolated, underscoring the ongoing nature of the fraud problem. The operation involves all four California-based U.S. Attorney’s Offices, reflecting a broad effort to safeguard electoral integrity.
BREAKING: Federal authorities have begun arresting 28 noncitizens accused of illegally registering to vote in the U.S., with prosecutors saying many actually cast ballots in previous elections.
Source: The Gateway Pundit
